Handled Bottle

ABSTRACT

Described is a bottle having bottle central part having a bottle base, an enclosed handle, and a bottle top with a bottle closure. A bottle closure has a forward directed pouring orifice and attached child-resistant closure means. A bottle closure has a venting means fluidly connected to the interior of the enclosed handle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to bottle closures on bottles fordispensing liquids, such as liquid cleaners and the like. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates generally to flip top andscrew top closures on handled bottles.

2. Description of the Related Art

A typical directional pour spout with a flip top cap is described inU.S. Pat. No. 7,549,559 to Conroy et al. A child-proof closure for aflip top cap is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2007/0144996 to Sawyer. Atypical bottle with an integral handle and method of making is describedin U.S. 2005/0163952 to Beale and U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,598 to Thompson.

A variety of solutions have been disclosed for storage venting of screwtop closures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870 to Pearce disclosesridges with slots or grooves on the inside top horizontal surface of ascrew cap to allow venting from inside the bottle. Another example ofscrew cap venting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,140 to Caldwell,where the screw cap is slotted through the threads and on the inside topsurface. Other venting solutions applicable to screw top containers haveused venting liners, i.e. U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,857, U.S. Pat. No.4,121,728, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,074.

Accordingly, what is needed is an ergonomic enclosed handled bottle,with a forward directed pour spout, suitable venting during pouring andstorage, and a child-resistant closure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, in oneembodiment, is a bottle comprising a container having a threaded neck onthe container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on thecontainer top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container outletand a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure having a base member,a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap, wherein thebase member comprises a outer threaded skirt member and a deck memberwherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout and a venting channeland the venting channel is fluidly connected to the handle inlet.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a bottlecomprises a container having a threaded neck on the container top frontsurface and having an enclosed handle on the container top rear surfacewherein the neck comprises a container outlet and a separate handleinlet; a dispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap, and a hingeconnecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has anouter threaded skirt member with a pair of latches on opposite sides ofthe base member and an a deck member wherein the deck member comprises abeveled spout wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into thelatches, wherein the neck has a neck base having a neck base containerfront surface and a neck base handle surface wherein the neck basecontainer front surface has one of more ratchets and a stop tab and thehandle portion of the neck base has one or more ratchets.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a bottlecomprises a container having a threaded neck on the container top frontsurface and having an enclosed handle on the container top rear surface;a dispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap, and a hingeconnecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has anouter threaded skirt member with a pair of latches on opposite sides ofthe base member, an indented inner skirt member having an inner surface,and an a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a spout and aventing channel, and wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock intothe latches, an outer wall, and an inner wall having an inner surfacewherein the cap inner wall inner surface frictionally mates with theinner surface of the indented skirt on the base member.

The use of the bottle of the present invention, from a consumerperspective, would not differ from the use of any conventionaldispensing bottle known in the art. The user would simply open theclosure mechanism to dispense fluid from the bottle.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detaileddescription of embodiments below, when considered together with theattached drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and others will be readily appreciated by theskilled artisan from the following description of illustrativeembodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a side plan view of a bottle in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side plan view of a container in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a rear plan view of a container in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a container in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a closure portion according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a closure portion according tothe present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a closure according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a closure in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a closure in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a closure in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a closure in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows an exploded perspective view of a bottle in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a bottle in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals referto like parts throughout. For ease of description, the components ofthis invention are described in the normal (upright) operating position,and terms such as upper, lower, horizontal, top, bottom, etc., are usedwith reference to this position. It will be understood, however, thatthe components embodying this invention may be manufactured, stored,transported, used, and sold in an orientation other than the positiondescribed.

Figures illustrating the components of this invention show someconventional mechanical elements that are known and that will berecognized by one skilled in the art. The detailed descriptions of suchelements are not necessary to an understanding of the invention, andaccordingly, are herein presented only to the degree necessary tofacilitate an understanding of the novel features of the presentinvention.

All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whethersupra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entiretyto the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patentapplication was specifically and individually indicated to beincorporated by reference.

As used herein and in the claims, the term “comprising” is inclusive oropen-ended and does not exclude additional unrecited elements,compositional components, or method steps. Accordingly, the term“comprising” encompasses the more restrictive terms “consistingessentially of” and “consisting of”.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referentsunless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,reference to a “surfactant” includes two or more such surfactants.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methodsand materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can beused in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materialsand methods are described herein.

The term “bottle”, as used herein, is meant to mean and include anyplastic container and closure for holding a fluid.

In a suitable embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottle 100comprises a container 102 having a body portion 104 for holdingcontainer content, with a container front side 106 adjacent to thedispensing opening 108 and a rear side 110 adjacent to the handle 112,and a lower closed bottom end 114 for supporting the container 102. Thecontainer has an upper end including a neck 116 delimiting a dispensingopening 108. A dispensing closure 120 of the present invention, having abase member 122, a cap 124, and a connecting hinge 118 may be securelymounted onto said container 102 via its base member 122, using any meansof attachment commonly know to those skilled in the art includingcooperative threads, crimping, clipping means, heat sealing, forcefitting, clasp elements, snap-fit bead, groove arrangements, andmixtures thereof. The container 102 can have an enclosed handle 112 withan extended handle exterior 126 and an enclosed extended handle interior128. The bottle has a thumb pad 130 on the extended handle exterior 126and a forefinger alignment nub 132 on the extended handle interior 128.These handle easy-grip features are suitable for a forward directedpouring spout which is tipped during pouring to a lesser extent than isrequired for a more central directed pouring spout on the top of abottle. A solid web 134 separates the handle top end 136 from thecontainer front side 106 where the handle top end 136 and the containerfront side 106 both enter the neck 116. The handle bottom end 135 isfluidly connected to the container body portion 104 about half way upthe container rear side 110. The handle top end 136 is fluidly connectedto the dispensing opening 108 at the neck 116. Below the handle 112 isan indented label wall 138. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the container 102 isan elongated circle rather than round. In other embodiments, thecontainer is round. In a suitable embodiment, the container 102 has alength 140 and a width 142. In one embodiment, the neck 116 is entirelywithin the front 20% of the length 140 of the container 102 and thehandle 112 stretches across greater than 80% of the length 140 of thecontainer 102. The elongated container, the extended handle position,the separate handle opening to the neck, the forward neck, orcombinations of these allow for effective directed pouring out of thefront of the bottle.

Suitably, the dispensing closure 120 of the invention is provided withan inner female thread typically located in the base member 122, asdescribed hereinafter, and the container neck 116 is provided with anexterior male thread 150 formed adjacent its dispensing opening 118.Typically, the dispensing closure 120 is mounted onto the container 102with the female thread of the base member 122 screwed on the male thread150 of the container 102. Alternatively, the container 102 may not needhaving a neck 116. Instead the container 102 may consist of a just abody portion 104 with a dispensing opening 118. The dispensing closure120 of the present invention is suitable for use with a variety ofconventional or special containers having various designs, the detailsof which, although not illustrated or described, would be apparent tothose skilled in the art. The container 102 may have a rigid wall orwalls, or may have a somewhat flexible wall or walls.

In a suitable aspect of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thedispensing closure 120 is a separate element which is adapted to beremovably or non-removably mounted, via its base member 122, to apreviously manufactured container 102 which has a dispensing opening 108to the container interior. In an alternative execution, the dispensingclosure 120 may be formed as a unitary part, or extension, of thecontainer 102. The dispensing closure 120 is adapted to be used with acontainer 102 having a dispensing opening 108 to provide access to thecontainer interior volume and to a product contained therein, which ispreferably a pourable product. However, the dispensing closure 120 ofthe invention may be used with many products, including but not limitedto, relatively low or high viscosity liquids, creams, gels, suspensions,mixtures, lotions, pastes, particulates, granular products, and mixturesthereof. Typical products for use in the present invention may be thoseconstituting a food product, a personal care product, an industrial orhousehold cleaning product, or other compositions of matter for use inactivities involving manufacturing, commercial or household maintenance,construction, agriculture. Suitably, said pourable product is a liquidcomposition.

The container neck 116 may be a simple threaded closure or may have inaddition to the male thread 150, several functional elements to preventremoval of the base member 122 of the dispensing closure 120. As shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, the container neck 116 has two or more ratchets 152,153 and a closure stop 154 on the neck base 156 to interact with thedispensing closure 120 during attachment of the dispensing closure 120.Suitably, one or more of the ratchets 153 is located at the top of thehandle neck base 158 and one or more of the ratchets 152 is located onthe container front neck base 160. The closure stop 154 is suitablylocated on the container front neck base 160. An anti-removal stop 155is located on the handle neck base 158. At the bottom of the neck 116are the container outlet 162 and the handle venting inlet 164.

Showing the dispensing means 120 in an open position in FIG. 5 the basemember 122 may have any suitable configuration, form or dimension foraccommodating an upwardly projecting neck 116 or portion of a container102 (FIG. 2). In a suitable execution of the present invention, the basemember 122 has a substantially round shape when seen from the topperspective, as represented in FIG. 5. The base member 122 is comprisedof two distinct parts, an annular skirt member 170 and a deck member172. The skirt member 170 generally forms the external and surroundingwall of the base member 122 and extends substantially towards thecontainer direction, typically parallel to the neck 116 of the container102 (FIG. 3). The deck member 172 which typically extends substantiallytransversely to the longitudinal axis of the container 102 is generallysubstantially flat and horizontal or slightly slanted.

More specifically, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the female threadmeans 174 for attachment of the base member 122 to the neck 116 issuitably located onto the inner portion of the outer wall 176 of theskirt member 170 of the base member 122. The skirt member has an innerwall 177 connecting to the deck member 172. The deck member 172 of thebase member 122 comprises a venting channel 178 adapted to communicatewith the interior volume of the handle 112 through the handle inlet 164(FIG. 4). The deck member 172 also comprises a beveled spout member 180which extends upward from the deck member 172 to dispense product fromthe container 102 through the container outlet 162 (FIG. 4). Also shownis a spout deflector 182 at the bottom of the spout member 180 whichacts to moderate the pouring stream out of the spout member 180. The top184 of the cap 124 can also have a venting pad 186 for venting duringstorage. The venting pad 186 can overlay a hole in the top of the cap124 and provide grooved channels for passage of air between the bottleinterior and the bottle exterior.

Another embodiment of the dispensing closure 120 is shown in FIGS. 7-9.FIG. 7 shows a dispensing closure 120 in the closed position and havinga base member 122, a cap member 124 and a hinge 118. FIG. 8 shows thedispensing closure 120 of FIG. 7 in an open position having a basemember 122, a cap member 124 and a hinge 118. The skirt member 170comprises an outer annular shirt 188 having latches 190 and a contiguousindented inner annular skirt 192 having an inner skirt inner surface194. On each side of the cap member 124 is a tab 196. The tabs 196 canbe pushed inward towards each other to release the tabs 196 from thelatches 190 in the outer skirt 188 of the skirt member 170 to allow thecap member 124 to swing on the hinge 118 to the open position. As shownin FIGS. 8-10, the cap member 124 also has an inner annular wall 198concentric with the outer annular wall 199 that frictionally mates withthe inner skirt inner surface 194 of the base member 122 to preventproduct from leaking from the container 102 (in FIG. 1).

When the bottle contains liquid contents that expand or generate gasduring storage of the bottle when the nozzle is in the closed position,it may be necessary to include a storage venting means. This passivestorage venting means can be achieved by a circuitous channel, such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870 to Pearce, or by a porous liner,such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,306 to Costa et al., both ofwhich are incorporated in the entirety herein. In one embodiment of theinvention shown in FIG. 11, the storage venting means can be achieved bya pattern of channels 195 on the outer surface 199 of the inner wall 198of the cap member 124. Alternately, there can be a pattern of channels197 on the inner skirt inner surface 194. Because these channels 195,197 are only on vertical surfaces of the dispensing closure 120, theremay be less likelihood to foul from product gassing than grooves onhorizontal surfaces. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to havechannels 195, 197 on both the outer surface 199 of the inner wall 198 ofthe cap member 124 and the inner skirt inner surface 194 in order toreduce mold wear. These channels are especially advantageous where twosmooth injection molded surfaces fit together. The channels can be laseretched or chemical etched into the molds.

The bottle may have an integrated spout fitment such as described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,794,803 to Sprick, which is incorporated by reference inits entirety herein. In another embodiment in FIGS. 12 and 13, thebottle 200 comprises a dispensing container 202 having an enclosedhandle 204 in the container rear section 203 and a neck 206 in thecontainer front section 205 with a spout fitment 208 inserted into thecylindrical neck 206. In this way, the consumer picks up the containerat the handle in the rear section and pours from the spout in the frontsection of the container. The bottle 200 also has a cap closure 210which acts to close the pouring spout. The neck 206 has external threads212 to receive complementary internal threads 214 (FIG. 13) on the capclosure 210. As seen in FIG. 13, the spout fitment 208 includes agenerally tubular pouring spout 216 having pouring orifice 218 anddisposed with an annular sheath 220. The lower end of the spout 216 andthe lower end of the sheath 220 are joined by an annular wall 222. Theannular wall 222 contains a drainback hole 224. The drainback hole 224may be connecting with the pouring orifice 218 (not shown) or it may beadjacent to the spout 216 as in FIG. 13. The lower end of the sheath 220contains a venting hole 226. The upper end of the sheath 220 is providedwith a lip 228 which is fastened to the inside surface of the neck 206.The venting hole 226 is fluidly connected to interior of the enclosedhandle 204 of the dispensing container 202. The spout 216 and drainbackhole 224 are fluidly connected to the interior of the container frontsection 205.

The cap closure 210 has an annular wall 230 with internal closurethreads 214 and one or more locking tabs 234 at the lower end. Theannular wall 230 contains two or more differentiated pressure points 236where the annular wall 230 is flexible enough to be deflected radiallyinwardly by pushing with the fingers. Pushing the pressure points 236inwardly causes the annular wall 230 to flex outwardly at the positionof the locking tabs 234. This allows the locking tabs 234 to move pastthe stop tabs 238 on the container neck 206 and the cap closure 210 tobe threadedly removed from the container 202.

This invention has been described herein in detail to provide thoseskilled in the art with information relevant to apply the novelprinciples and to construct and use such specialized components as arerequired. However, it is to be understood that the invention can becarried out by different equipment, materials and devices, and thatvarious modifications, both as to the equipment and operatingprocedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of theinvention itself.

1. A bottle comprising: a container having a threaded neck on thecontainer top front surface and having an enclosed handle on thecontainer top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container outletand a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure having a base member,a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap, wherein thebase member comprises a outer threaded skirt member and a deck memberwherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout and a venting channeland the venting channel is fluidly connected to the handle inlet.
 2. Thebottle of claim 1, wherein the base member of the dispensing closure hasa pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member and the cap has apair of tabs that lock into the latches.
 3. The bottle of claim 1,wherein the neck has a neck base with one or more sets of ratchets and astop tab.
 4. The bottle of claim 3, wherein the neck base comprises twoor more sets of ratchets.
 5. The bottle of claim 3, wherein one of thesets of ratchets is on the handle portion of the neck base.
 6. Thebottle of claim 1, wherein the base member additionally comprises anindented inner skirt having an inner surface.
 7. The bottle of claim 1,wherein the cap has an outer wall and an inner wall having an innersurface.
 8. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the cap inner wall innersurface frictionally mates with the inner surface of the indented innerskirt of the base member.
 9. The bottle of claim 8, wherein there is aventing surface where the cap inner wall mates with the indented skirtof the base member.
 10. The bottle of claim 9, wherein the ventingsurface comprises vertical channels on a surface from the groupconsisting of the indented inner skirt inner surface, the cap inner wallinner surface, and combinations thereof.
 11. A bottle comprising: acontainer having a threaded neck on the container top front surface andhaving an enclosed handle on the container top rear surface wherein theneck comprises a container outlet and a separate handle inlet; adispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap, and a hingeconnecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has anouter threaded skirt member with a pair of latches on opposite sides ofthe base member and an a deck member wherein the deck member comprises abeveled spout wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into thelatches, wherein the neck has a neck base having a neck base containerfront surface and a neck base handle surface wherein the neck basecontainer front surface has one of more ratchets and a stop tab and thehandle portion of the neck base has one or more ratchets.
 12. The bottleof claim 11, wherein the deck member additionally comprises a ventingchannel and the venting channel is fluidly connected to the handleinlet.
 13. A bottle comprising: a container having a threaded neck onthe container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on thecontainer top rear surface; a dispensing closure comprising a basemember, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap,wherein the base member has an outer threaded skirt member with a pairof latches on opposite sides of the base member, an indented inner skirtmember having an inner surface, and an a deck member wherein the deckmember comprises a spout and a venting channel, and wherein the cap hasa pair of tabs that lock into the latches, an outer wall, and an innerwall having an inner surface wherein the cap inner wall inner surfacefrictionally mates with the inner surface of the indented skirt on thebase member.
 14. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the indented innerskirt is contiguous with the outer threaded skirt member.
 15. The bottleof claim 13, wherein the venting channel is fluidly connected to thehandle inlet.
 16. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the treaded neck has aneck base comprising two or more sets of ratchets.
 17. The bottle ofclaim 13, wherein the treaded neck base has a front base section and arear handle base section and one of the sets of ratchets is on rearhandle base section.
 18. The bottle of claim 13, wherein a solid webseparates the handle top end from the container front side at the bottomof the neck.